Forum talk:Categorization Policy
In case you forgot about this policy, don't close it quite yet, I have an amendment I'd like to propose in regards to it. -Sarrc 21:26, 31 July 2007 (UTC) STORY AND CROSS-OVER CATEGORIES Okay, here's my idea, and I'm not sure if it applies so directly to this section as it's proposed, but it's the closest I can figure as this is about categories and it's still being proposed, so whatever. I was thinking users should be able to do story categories for their fanon. Okay, look at the TF wiki for a second. They have a category called "Beast Wars" and in it is the story of the series Beast Wars, and all the characters that relate to it, plus an article for the toy line, one for episode summaries, stuff like that. And when they have a common character changed for that story they do "Soundwave (Cybertron)" or something. Atomic Spaceman has a great idea for a Star Wars meets Transformers thing called "Unicron Versus the Deathstar". So, what I was thinking he could do, is make an article and a category called "Unicron Versus the Deathstar," In the article he could do a synopsis on what happens in the story, and then put in links to characters, technology, places, stuff that takes place in it and belong there. Then in articles for the characters, he'd put them in the Category "Unicron versus the Deathstar" so you'd know what story they're in. This is really handy if you're doing a cross over, or a story where you use a character like Optimus Prime in a radically new context. The category difference would show it's that story's version of Optimus Prime, like "Optimus Prime (U_V_DS)" for Optimus Prime in "Unicron Versus the Deathstar." That way he could do an article all about the Optimus Prime in his story. The way you could handle an article about a well known character in the context of your story is ... well, look, here's the entire text from the Grimlock (pretender) entry in Dreamwave's More than Meets the Eye profile book: "Grimlock is still the toughest, most ill-tempered Dinobot, but now he's being forced to back up his long-standing claims that he's the best choice for Autobot leader. No longer just in charge of the Dinobots, Grimlock now occupies an important position in the overall Autobot hierarchy, forcing him to deal with all of the demands and responsibilities of a full-fledged commander. Although some Autobots aren't convinced that Grimlock can handle it, he's taking it very seriously. At the very least, Optimus Prime seems to think there's potential there." See, it doesn't need to re-state who the character is, we already know that. It tells us instead about Grimlock as a pretender. It talks about how he's different in the context, and the physical changes he's undergone from the version we're familiar with. So, if you did a story where The Transformers meet G.I. Joe, and Optimus Prime takes the alt mode of a HISS tank, you do an article about that, talk about what Optimus does in your story, and the changes that he's gone through. I.E. he's a HISS tank, he was mind controlled by Cobra, he broke free, fought Cobra and saved the day. Stuff like that. What he does in your story, and how he's different from the standard version. I think this could also really help to sort out the thousand different articles about Optimus Prime or Megatron people might want to do, while we're small, before there's a huge mess. I mean, we all have different ideas for their origins and things we want to remove from the canon regarding them, or even just weird awesome new stories they should participate in. As far as the story categories outside of the crossovers or Canon characters, you could really use them to help build your fanon universe. Making episode summaries for the imaginary cartoon about your fanon universe, articles about the toys they made of your fanon characters, all contained under the category of your fanon title. (Of course, this should be totally optional. I mean, ItsWalky put the toy review for his fanon character right on the character page. That's awesome. He shouldn't be forced to move it to a separate category and label things differently if he already has a way to make everything make sense. It's just an option to sort of expand your universe, if you wanted to talk specifically about an imaginary toy line or cartoon series.) I also think it's an important option, because I think Cross-Overs would be popular here. Transformers are much better suited to them than something like Star Wars, I mean, One: they've already done it SEVERAL times, and Two: there's a rich deep tradition of the Characters changing into new alt modes and stuff to fit into a new setting. The idea coming up with other universe alt modes for characters (like Spaceman's idea of Optimus Prime transforming into a Blockade runner, and Megatron being a Star Destroyer) is very fanon appealing. And, while I'm typing too much and talking about it a little, the Cross-Over portals should really be something more like "Here's all our different stories about Star Wars and Transformers" rather than laying down an official context they need to be in. What if someone wants to do a story that doesn't use Rebelbots? Spaceman's story says that the Autobots helped the Rebels upgrade their starships into piloted Transformers so they could help them fight the Decepticons. That's why the toys still have the little pilots. I think that's the coolest thing. The portals would work so much better for new comers if it was just a way to show case all of our Star Wars themed Transformers articles. Too many restrictions aren't conducive to creativity. I know that if I had a neat idea for a "Darth Vader as a Transformer" article, and I came here and saw that I had to make him fit in a very specific pre-established story, or change everything to say he's always been a Transformer and fights for the Empirecons, I probably wouldn't stay and make the article. I'd say "This site sucks!" and go somewhere else. When it's a character we did not invent, we should keep the possibilities open so anyone can work on their own version if they want. I think story categories could help accomplish this as well. -Sarrc 17:22, 1 August 2007 (UTC) *Okay, let me make this clear. I just skimmed your post, so if I miss one of the major points, I'm sorry. Anyway, let me also make something else clear: All non-spam categories are allowed. All and any. At the same time, though, the staff would like you to include at least one basic category. You were talking about crossovers. If we have a crossover article, say, Darth Vader vs Optimus Prime, list Darth Vader as 'Star Wars Crossover'. Optimus Prime should be listed under 'Crossover Charecter' or something like that. Or if all else fails, just put Crossover. Besides the single basic category that is needed, any other categories are allowed. That fit and are non-spam, that is. Okay, also, you said too many rules will limit creativity. Let me assure you that the categorization policy is there just to make things look organized. Unlike Star Wars Fanon, we are not going to go crack down and delete all the non-catted policies, hopefully ever. I personally thing CBT was being stupid. As for non-catted policies on this site, a simple reminder is as far as I will. Or I'll put catting in myself, if necessary. Eventually, we'll need to get stricter on this policy, but right now the policy is more there to be followed, not enforced. Hope I make sense... Phobi[[User talk:Shadowphobia|''Speak To the Almighty...]] 12:12, 31 July 2007 (UTC) ::Okay, no. You've misinturpreted what I said, and missed my point entirely. '''I'm not arguing against the categorization policy.' I'm completely cool with it. I'm suggesting this in addition, if they choose, as a way to allow people to make individual fanon universes. For cross-overs, it would help separate multiple articles about very similar subject matter. For regular stuff, it would give users the ability to create a transformers SERIES like "Energon" or something like that, and then fill it with all of their own characters and story lines, or with their own takes on the popular canon characters they might want to use in that story. It would also allow cross-overs with individual takes and perspectives on the why and how, instead of working within the one version the portal currently supports. ::I didn't say too many rules limit creativity. I said too many restrictions, and that's in the context of the fanon cross-overs. The portal only has one option for the storyline. If someone wants to write a cross-over with Star Wars, it has to be in line with that version. I recommended the storyline category as a way around that, so the portal could be a place to show off everyone's different TF/SW articles. ::Star Wars fanon never had to deal with anything like this, because there's only one universe. Transformers has a new universe every two or three years, and sometimes simultaneously. I thought having the option of creating a category for your universe would make things easier if you have your own story about Optimus Prime hunting for mini-cons which differs from someone else's, and to link all of your "what-ever-universe-name" specific characters together, if should so choose. ::Aside from encouraging world-building, I thought it would be neat to link specific articles so you see the whole story, cut down on the chaos of ten million different ideas for neat versions of Megatron, and encouraging people to have their own take on a cross-over for which there IS no specific official story for. I also thought it'd be a neat almost sneaky way to ensure people would categorize their articles. You know, put their article in at least ONE category for no other reason than they want to link it to their other stories. -Sarrc 20:35, 1 August 2007 (UTC)